#Think!Paper — Edition 3, Vol. 1
Interview by Andreas Weber, Head of Value
Morten B. Reitoft from Denmark is one of my favorite colleagues. Dedicated to TV & Video to promote print in the best way. His advice is always valuable and well recognized around the globe. So I am happy to get his statements in the context of our unique #Think!paper work.
What is the beauty of print in the digital age?
Morten B. Reitoft: It’s tactile qualities, it’s a push media, and it represents a brand in multiple dimensions rather than just on a screen!
Everything in the Mobile Age is so fast. Why is the adaption of digital printing technology innovations so slow?
Morten B. Reitoft: One of the biggest obstacles for print, in general, is cost, time and distribution. The designing process is more or less the same, so the cost for both print and distribution is the major differentiator — and of course, the time it takes from idea to it reaches an audience.
An even more critical obstacle adapting print is two issues that we as an industry have:
- we believe we should measure print the same way as digital content, in clicks, impressions, etc. and that have till date been impossible
- we don’t even believe in print ourselves as an industry – just check how few printing companies that produce marketing material for their products and services on print!
The industry needs to take our own medicine and use print in our marketing. We have to define the measures for how we want to be accounted for.
I believe that print has a way higher impact than mobile and web since it last longer, has the tactility and represent a brand way better for the same reasons.
We have also forgotten some of the virtues from the past – print can be just pretty, engage and impress – in my opinion, that works too!
What are the key drivers for a powerful & successful print service biz today and what will it be in the future?
Morten B. Reitoft: The driver is the same as it has always been – demand! The service providers today have to figure out which markets to address.
If you want to be a commodity supplier, you’ll need volume, and probably prices are one of the major drivers for getting commodity customers. Today online printers can’t really differentiate on quality since all deliver to the standards, so the new with online printers is to offer same-day services as well as extending their offerings into, i.e. merchandise.
For printers who want to work with higher margin products – quality, diversity, paper, is the major drivers. Some printers even consider to work into new niches like packaging, labels, printed electronics, decor – and though really not related 3D. About the future – I have written an article that I still believe is right “Printers will be factories – and customers will buy from elsewhere” – referring to the fact that somebody will need to add value to a product and especially commodity printers will not be part of the value-adding process since they ONLY focus on price.
Thanks, Morten, for sharing your thoughts and insights.
About
Morten B. Reitoft is an experienced CEO with a passion for development of ideas and business. He is very creative and very hard working and one of his greatest strength is his ability to encourage people – whether these are customers, employees or business partners.
Specialties: Creative, competitive, Great interest in both the detail and the overview, very good communication skills, inspiring, fast thinking, internationally oriented, great interest in people, business and processes.
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#Think!Paper — the key facts at a glance
What we do
We evaluate and profile print and its proponents as an effective driving force for transformation – across all industries!
Our mission
We show, first and foremost, that print is by no means driftwood in an ocean of transformation (with Titanic-style effects) but rather a solid anchor for the ‘tsunamis in our heads’!
Our USP
- We are bringing together the brightest minds to form interdisciplinary #Think!Teams with a global outlook.
- We are building up the finest pool of expertise with a clear focus on interaction, discourse, customer experience and sustainable conversations.
- We are reinforcing the bedrock of any successful ‘digital’ transformation – proficient, dynamic and meaningful communication.
Benefits for our partners
We help our partners make new and market-relevant discoveries that inspire them and inject new energy into their development.
